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It would seem that another lorry fire has closed the tunnel, 32 evacuated with 8 with minor injuries

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7610919.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7610919.stm)

Is it time to say no to lorry laden fright through the Channel Tunnel?

Better Lorry Laden than Bin Laden

If lorries with freight can't go through, what else is this hole in the ground really going to be used for?  Eurostar and private vehicles surely wouldn't sustain it alone.

Competition to Eurostar could boost the number of passenger services through the tunnel :

That's a very topical observation, John.  Yes: potentially, the Channel Tunnel is a classic terrorist target - and with just one lorry, packed with semtex / oxyacetylene cylinders (other explosive substances are available), it's perhaps best not to dwell on the effects of the resulting conflagration?

Further article links.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7611622.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7612776.stm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/sep/12/transport.france1

Advice from Eurostar's website:-

Travellers departing St Pancras International should note that check-in will CLOSE at 18h45 (GMT) until further notice.

So does that mean that in the time that most of us are currently using, check in will close at 1945? 

Further related links.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/2827683/Channel-Tunnel-reopens-for-freight-but-disruption-continues.html

http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKLAL00200620080913?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2008/sep/15/rail.france

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/sep/16/transport.channeltunnel

http://www.nce.co.uk/news/2008/09/channel_tunnel_concrete_lining_fire_protection_flawed_say_experts.html;jsessionid=7154F71FA8D1EA790DB3442300AF0A6C

http://www.nce.co.uk/news/2008/09/channel_tunnel_fire_made_worse_by_open_wagons.html;jsessionid=E1C56B7B5F860617D06A9CA06C967490

http://www.abtn.co.uk/Airlines_cash_in_as_Eurostar_struggles

Liberal Democrats have urged a safety review for lorries using the Channel Tunnel (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7641064.stm

Eurotunnel has said it will take several months before Channel Tunnel services are operating normally again following the fire.

However, another of the previously-closed sections of the north tunnel has reopened, raising overall capacity from 170 trains a day to 210.

The London to Paris and Brussels high-speed Eurostar train services will be almost back to normal.

Folkestone-to-Calais passenger and truck services have increased and rail freight trains are using the tunnel at night.

Further related link.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23561625-details/Eurostar+%27reduced%27+until+after+Christmas/article.do

A section of the freight train which was damaged in a Channel Tunnel fire last month has been removed from the line (link below.)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/3117711/Fire-damaged-part-of-Eurotunnel-train-removed.html

Eurostar has unveiled a new, amended timetable that makes best use of the available capacity through the Channel Tunnel following the restrictions imposed after the recent fire (link below.)
http://www.transportbriefing.co.uk/story.php?id=5226

There are now nine trains per weekday between London and Brussels and 16 trains per weekday between London and Paris, compared with 10 and 17 trains respectively before the blaze on board a Eurotunnel Shuttle service on 11 September. Journey times are on average 20 minutes longer than normal to take account of the partial closure of one of the two running tunnels.

The Rail Freight Group has called for a thorough investigation of Channel Tunnel lorry safety, which it believes could lead to trucks being banned from open-sided rail wagons (link below.)
http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/general/2008/10/01-rfg-tunnel.html

On a personal note it means freinds of mine who are joining us next week in Wernigerode and are coming by Eurostar will not now arrive until 22.29, instead of 19:28.

I'm just hoping BMI won't be going backrupt until after Thursday next week.

Don't think you need fear for BMI. Sir Michael Bishop (chairman and 50 per cent owner) is a pretty shrewd operator, in aviation since he was about 20, and the other shareholders are Lufthansa and SAS.

Enjoy the Harzquerbahn!

Eurotunnel has said it lost 21m euros ($28.6m; ^16.4m) as a result of the fire in the Channel Tunnel last month (links below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7658744.stm

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article4905800.ece

Also, large chunks of the fire damaged concrete lining in the Channel Tunnel have fallen off (link below.)
http://www.nce.co.uk/news/2008/10/fire_stripped_off_channel_tunnel_lining.html;jsessionid=F5791E838D045EC80D132718F7B95657

Further related link.
http://www.roadtransport.com/Articles/2008/10/16/131921/channel-tunnel-truck-use-drops-in-wake-of-fire.html

Fire engineers have questioned Eurotunnel's justification for abandoning measures to protect the Channel Tunnel (link below.)
http://www.nce.co.uk/news/2008/10/eurotunnel_challenged_on_decision_to_scrap_fire_sprays.html;jsessionid=CF16612C28F1B621C00F8A57F5EDF4C7

One engineer involved with the development of a prototype on board sprinkler system blamed cost cutting for the tunnel operator's decision to axe fire suppression measures. It has emerged that fire Suppression Systems (FSS) designed to protect the Channel Tunnel from blazes on wagons carrying lorries were ordered.

A prototype was built in the early part of this decade and was tested by Eurotunnel in 2004, but the system was never rolled out. By 2004/5 Eurotunnel was slashing spending to curb losses of almost ^3bn in three years. Since then two fires have hit the tunnel, one in 2006 and one on September 11 this year. Both fires were aboard lorry carriers.

Meanwhile, Eurostar has postponed all of its major marketing and advertising plans for the next three months, including celebrating the first anniversary of its move to St Pancras, following the fire in the Channel Tunnel last month (link below.)
http://www.mad.co.uk/Logon/ArticleLogon.aspx?uiArticleID=35e4b501-bb16-4cf8-aaff-3264c818bca2&uiNavigationItemID=&uiPageID=8453a00f-9d1a-404a-beda-339905b6b8b4&PipelinedPage=/Main/News/Articlex/35e4b501bb164cf8aaff3264c818bca2/Eurostar-marketing-derailed.html&PipelinedQueryString=uiArticleID%3d35e4b501-bb16-4cf8-aaff-3264c818bca2%26uiNavigationItemID%3dd8f9fd23-813a-47b2-9696-31d9ca23a265%26

And that figure has risen significantly since, according to more recent reports (posts just above).  The damage is also long term in perception too ... a guest of ours this week did come via Eurostar but confessed to being nervous of the tunnel, and I'm sure he's not alone. He didn't question the safety of any of the other tunnels on his route, though.

My friends did get from London to Wernigerode in a day and arrived on time at 22:29.

BMI flew us both ways in a tootpaste tube, Embair 145, 54  seats half empty both ways. Even London Airport Terminal 1 at 08:00 was very quite, a bit busier at 17:00 on way back. Hannover airport was dead both ways. My prophesy of BMI going bankrupt nearly came true as they've been taken over by Lufthansa.

When I work out how to do I will post photos and fuller account in the Lighter Side.

Lets just say the HSB love playing trains.

From the RAIB website:


Thirty nine recommendations have been made.

The full report (http://www.raib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/101122_ReportET2010_eurotunnel_eng.pdf) is available on the RAIB website.